FERC approves funding for Quebec-New England hydropower line

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the funding for a major transmission project that would deliver hydropower from Quebec to the New England region.

The project will link Hydro-Quebec with ISO New England and is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 4 to 6 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, the FERC said in a statement today. The transmission line would deliver 1,200 megawatts. It will cross over the U.S. and Canadian border.

This project provides the opportunity for consumers in a region of the country that has tight constraints on electricity supplies to get access to clean, low-cost energy, FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said in a statement.

Northeast Utilities Service Company, NSTAR Electric Company and Hydro-Quebec TransEnergie will build the transmission line.